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Geoff Wootton
Grand Master
Username: dounraey

Post Number: 967
Registered: 5-2012
Posted on Thursday, 24 September, 2015 - 02:34 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Hi Folks

I had a failure to start yesterday morning. The battery was flat. Since the battery is only 18 months old I hooked up an ammeter to the main earth connector (winged bolt) at the battery. With all the doors closed, all lights off, including the glovebox, I got a reading of 660 mAmps. Way too high. Does anyone know the reading I should be getting? Bob_uk mentioned 30 mAmps in another thread, but he said he runs his car clock off two AA batteries. What figure should I get when the car clock is included, as on my car. The only other device that runs continuously is the central locking module. This should only be pulling a few milliamps.

My approach will be to remove the fuses one by one to try and isolate the leaking circuit. I plan also to replace all the diodes. Are there any other things I could do at this stage in trying to isolate this fault?

Geoff
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Mark Aldridge
Prolific User
Username: mark_aldridge

Post Number: 260
Registered: 10-2008
Posted on Thursday, 24 September, 2015 - 04:27 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Geoff, Try bonnet, boot, cubby lights, also cigar lighters.
Mark
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Geoff Wootton
Grand Master
Username: dounraey

Post Number: 968
Registered: 5-2012
Posted on Thursday, 24 September, 2015 - 04:40 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Mark

Cigar lighters. That's a great suggestion. I used them for the first time a few days ago to plug in a SatNav power cord. The front one didn't work so I had to use a rear door lighter. Could I have disturbed something in one of them. Thanks for the suggestion.

Geoff
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Martin Taylor
Experienced User
Username: martin_taylor

Post Number: 12
Registered: 7-2013
Posted on Thursday, 24 September, 2015 - 06:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

The sockets are permanently live, if you left the sat charger plugged in that could be your cause, other common culprits on the shadow cars are the door switches, the Bakelite cracks in the early switches and absorbs moisture.
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Robert Noel Reddington
Grand Master
Username: bob_uk

Post Number: 527
Registered: 5-2015
Posted on Thursday, 24 September, 2015 - 06:49 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Bob UK said he has seen car clocks with internal dry batteries. Bob UK car clock is running from car battery as normal.
Bob UK is Robert Reddington
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Geoff Wootton
Grand Master
Username: dounraey

Post Number: 1063
Registered: 5-2012
Posted on Wednesday, 20 January, 2016 - 01:40 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I finally found the cause of the 640 mAmp leak. I thought I'd publish this to wrap up this thread and also to include an area to check for any other owners, if they ever get the same fault.

It was caused by a small, barely visible break in the wire that runs from the starter motor to the starter relay. This is the main supply wire for the car electrics. It is attached to the crankcase by a bracket. The arrow in the picture below shows a small break in the brittle insulation through which the leak was taking place.

leak

My car now pulls just 40 mAmp when everything is switched off. This for the clock and remote central locking controller.

Geoff

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